Using models to support inter-jurisdictional ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Chesapeake Bay

The completion of the Fisheries Ecosystem Plan for Chesapeake Bay (NOAA Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Panel, 2006) was a milestone in the effort to develop ecosystem-based approaches to management of the estuary and its watershed.  The next step in that effort was to affirm a definition of ebfm in the Chesapeake among resource managers and to develop an operational structure to implement ebfm.  NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and Maryland Sea Grant have been working with resource managers and regional scientists to implement this structure by convening resource managers as part of the EBFM Goal Implementation Team (GIT) and regional scientists as species expert teams and quantitative ecosystem teams (QET). The charge of the species teams (ST) is to develop briefs discussing pertinent ecosystem issues for focal species in the Chesapeake. The QETs are charged with developing quantitative indicators based on the relevant ecosystem issues. These teams are to work with the GIT to develop quantitative endpoints for management.  The QET will explore the viability of using such an indicator.  Ultimately, before such an endpoint would be used as a management tool, the QETs will use various types of ecosystem modeling to simulate management scenarios using such endpoints.